Safety wrench for radiator caps



Nov. 16, 1954 j v s ET AL SAFETY WRENCH FOR RADIATOR CAPS Filed Aug. 10, 1955 Enventors JAIME? QflAV/ES g [10)0 ZSTARKWEA THE? (Ittorneg United States Patent SAFETY WRENCH FOR RADIATOR CAPS James R. Davies and Lloyd C. Starkweather, B ker fi ld. Ca f.

Application August 10, 1953, Serial No. 373,115

4 Claims. (CI. 81-85) This invention relates to a wrench for removing the radiator caps of automotive vehicles and deals more particularly with a wrench that embodies safety features to protect the user from scalding by steam due to overheating of the water in the radiator. This invention is an improvement of the wrench disclosed in our Patent No. 2,625,848.

It is an object of this invention to provide an improved wrench for the purpose intended in which great utility and paramount safety are the important features.

Another object of the invention is to provide a wrench of the character referred to embodying improved guard means that insure safety in the use thereof.

The invention also has for its objects to provide such means that are positive in operation, convenient in use, easily installed in a working position and easily disconnected therefrom, economical of manufacture, relatively simple, and of general superiority and serviceability.

The invention also comprises novel details of construction and novel combinations and arrangements of parts, which will more fully appear in the course of the following description. However, the drawing merely shows and the following description merely describes one embodiment of the present invention, which is given by way of illustration or example only.

In the drawing, like reference characters designate similar parts in the several views.

Fig. l is a side elevational view of a safety wrench embodying features of the present invention.

Fig. 2 is a broken bottom plan view thereof.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary longitudinal sectional view.

The safety wrench that is illustrated comprises, generally, relatively movable and telescopically engaged capgripping units 5 and 6, and guard means 7 carried by unit 6 so as to be interposed between a cap 8 being removed by the wrench and the user of the wrench, and, more particularly, the hand manipulating the wrench.

Unit 5 is shown as comprising an elongated tube 9 which is provided at one end with a transverse fingergripping bar 10 and at the opposite end with a jaw 11 that extends transversely to tube 9 in symmetrical arrangement. A bracket 12 is affixed to tube 9 and extends through a longitudinal slot 13 therein, said jaw 11 being aflixed to the extension of said bracket.

I aw 11 is formed to have two similar oppositely directed arms 14 that are disposed to have an included obtuse angle therebetween that approaches 180 degrees. The transverse form of each arm 14 is in the form of an obtuse angle and the inner faces thereof are serrated or knurled as at 15 to have non-slipping engagement with cap 8.

Unit 6 is substantially identical to unit 5 in the form and disposition of the arm 16 of the jaw 17 and the serrations 18 of said arms which are disposed in opposition to arms 14 so as to encompass cap 8 and grip the same when the two jaws 11 and 17 are pressed toward each other. A bracket 19 is affixed to the inner end of a plunger tube 20, projects through slot 13 in tube 9, and has jaw 17 aflixed thereto in substantially the same manner as jaw 11 is aflixed to bracket 12. A palmengageable knob 21 is provided on the outer end of tube 20. An expansion coil spring 22 is disposed in tube 9 between bracket 12 and the inner end of tube and is normally expanded to separate the jaws, the end 23 of slot 13 limiting the separation. Pressing ICC 2. bar 10 and knob 21 toward each other with the hand compresses spring 22 and brings the jaws together to grip a cap 8. Relative rotation between the jaws is olbvia'gad by the keying engagement of bracket 19 in s 0t 1 The structure above provided has its cap-engaging jaws 11 and 17 beneath tube 9 so that the wrench may be applied from above in a convenient manner. Frequently there are obstructions immediately below the cap that may lie in the path of anti-clockwise rotation of the wrench when removing a cap. Overflow pipes are typical of such obstructions. To obviate snagging of one or the other of the jaws on such pipes, the leading and lower corner thereof is rounded over or relieved as at 24 to ride over such pipe or pipes. The jaw 17 is shown with such relief and it will be obvious that jaw 11 may have its leading end similarly relieved, if desired.

The guard means 7 comprises an upwardly and rearwardly extending transparent shield 25, and a downwardly and forwardly extending protector 26 that are affixed to the arms 16 of jaw 17 by means such as screws 27. Since said arms 16 are at a rearward angle, the shield and protector are trained over the outside and are bowed where the screws fasten them to impart formretaining curvature to these elements. Also, by fastening these elements to the upper rearwardly angled legs of the arms 16, the mentioned angular disposition of said shield and protector is achieved. These elements 25 and 26 need only be cut to fit around tube 9 and bracket 19 as at 28.

A suitable plastic sheet may be advantageously used for guard 25 and of such thickness as to have limited flexibility. Soft natural or synthetic rubber may be used for protector 26 so that the same will yield to obstructions but, nevertheless, drape over the radiator top during use of the wrench.

It will be evident from the foregoing that steam and spurting hot water are effectively deflected in a direction away from the user of the wrench; that the transparency of the shield permits full visibility when applying the wrench; and that the guard mean is, at all times, in best position to perform its function because the same is carried directly by jaw 17 and moves therewith.

While we have illustrated and described what we now contemplate to be the best mode of carrying out our invention, the construction is, of course, subject to modification without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention. It is, therefore, not desired to restrict the invention to the particular form of construction illustrated and described, but to cover all modifications that may fall within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus described our invention, what we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

l. A wrench for radiator caps comprising two opposed and normally separated jaws, means to move the jaws into cap-gripping position, and guard means carried by one of said jaws and interposed between the latter and the user of the wrench to protect the user against emissions from the radiator during removal of the cap the guard means comprising an upwardly extending transparent shield and a downwardly extending flexible protector.

2. A wrench for radiator caps comprising two opposed and normally separated jaws, means to move the jaws into cap-gripping position, an elongated connection between the jaws and the moving means thereof to locate said latter means remote from the jaws, and guard means carried by the jaws nearest said moving means and movable therewith to protect the user of the wrench against emissions from the radiator during removal of the cap the guard means comprising an upwardly extending shield and a downwardly extending protector.

3. A wrench for radiator caps comprising two opposed and normally separated jaws, means to move the jaws into cap-gripping position, an elongated connection between the jaws and the moving means thereof to locate said latter means remote from the jaws, and guard means carried by the jaws nearest said moving means and movable therewith to protect the user of the wrench against emissions from the radiator during removal of the cap, said nearest jaw having a sloping face directed upwardly and away from the jaw-moving means, and the guard means comprising an upwardly extending transparent shield and a downwardly extending flexible protector both secured to said sloping face and disposed on the slope thereof.

4. A wrench for radiator caps comprising two opposed and normally separated jaws, means to move the jaws into cap-gripping position, an elongated connection between the jaws and the moving means thereof to locate said latter means remote from the jaws, and guard means carried by the jaws nearest said moving means and movable therewith to protect the user of the wrench against emissions from the radiator during removal of the cap, said nearest jaw having a sloping face directed upwardly and away from the jaw-moving means, and the guard means comprising an upwardly extending transparent shield and a downwardly extending flexible protector both secured to said sloping face and disposed on the slope thereof, the jaws being transverse of the elongated connection and the widths of the shield and protector being substantially coextensive with said transverse length of the jaws. 

